The systems and methods described herein relate to a hydraulic pump system that can be used in medicament pumps for injectables, specifically to low-cost, miniature, single-use pump systems.
Various people, such as diabetics, require continuous or near continuous infusion of certain drugs or medicines (broadly referred to herein as medicaments).
Many attempts have been made to provide continuous or near continuous dosing of medicaments, such as insulin, using pump systems. For example, one known pumping technique uses gas generated by various means to advance a plunger in a syringe, thereby injecting the medicament through an infusion set. The infusion sets is a means for conveying medicament through the patient skin and may comprise a standard needle, a microneedle, a microneedle array, and a catheter and cannula system.
Although these systems can work quite well, patients using these systems, particularly in continuous dose mode, need to monitor closely or deactivate these devices under circumstances where the ambient air pressure may vary greatly, such as in an airplane. In particular, patients need to be careful that the infusion pump does not deliver a dangerously increased dosage in airplanes at high altitudes, where the ambient pressure is significantly reduced.
What is needed is a simple, inexpensive, single-use only medicament pump system. Such a system must have the capacity to provide variable dosing under patient control as well as safety and consistency in the metered dose at any range of ambient pressures or operating conditions.